Pyne, Collins, Brown face first-time voters

31 AUGUST 2004

Three first-time student voters go head to head with politicians
from three parties during a special election Talkback
Classroom interview at the National Museum of Australia
tomorrow.

South Australian Liberal Christopher Pyne, Tasmanian Green
Senator Bob Brown and Victorian Labor Senator Jacinta Collins will
make their pitch to the young panel and then be quizzed about their
party's commitment to education, the environment and youth
prospects in a deregulated economy.

The student panellists are seasoned performers who have grilled
politicians before as part of the Talkback Classroom series.
This the first time they have tackled three politicians at once and
comes just days after news the Federal election will be held on 9
October.

The event is being convened by Australian National University
student Kirsty McLaren, with three Year 12 students set to tackle
the three politicians: Luke Bo'sher, Melbourne High School;
Natalie Webber, St Paul's Anglican Grammar School, Warragul,
Victoria; and Josh McCann, Casuarina Secondary College,
Darwin.

WHAT: Federal election Talkback Classroom

WHEN: 9.30am, Wednesday, 1 September

WHERE: Studio, National Museum, Acton

Talkback Classroom, a joint National Museum and
Parliamentary Education Office project, gives students media
training and access to key politicians and public figures as part
of the national civics curriculum.

Other guests this year include Governor-General Michael Jeffrey
on 22 September and US ambassador Tom Schieffer in a live link with
Washington students on 20 October.

The election Talkback Classroom interview will be
broadcast on ABC Radio National's Life Matters program on
Monday, 6 September from 9.30am.